Oh the Lies They Tell
by UnknownShinobi
Summary: A series of drabbles and 20 truths about the Naruto cast by me, UnknownShinobi
1. 20 Truths: Team 7

**_(I just needed a place to put all the random stories I have. "Oh the Lies They Tell" will basically be a mixture of 20 (or more) truths and drabbles about Naruto characters.)

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_**Author: UnknownShinobi**_

_**Title: Oh the Lies They Tell**_

_**Category: Anime – Naruto**_

**_Disclaimer: Last I checked I wasn't a Japanese guy…_**

_**Chapter 1: 20 Truths About Team 7**_

_**Summary: 20 Truths about Team 7**_

**_Warnings: Character Death_**

**_Pairings: Slight KakaSaku, SasuSaku, Definate NaruSaku

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**Oh the Lies They Tell**

Chapter 1: 20 Truths About Team 7

**. . : 1 : . .**

The moment he walked into the Hokage tower and was handed a class photo, Kakashi knew exactly which kids were going to be his. It made sense he'd get the Uchiha, as he was the only one who could teach him, and the Kyuubi kid, as it had been his own teacher who had sealed the demon, but it was the happy little girl that bothered him the most. The great Copy-cat ninja of Konohagakure no Sato could deal with boys, he could even deal with demons, but girls? Girls were a whole different matter.

**. . : 2 : . .**

Four days later, it took two three-man Anbu squads to drag an elite jonin away from the memorial stone so that Team 7 would have a teacher. Of course no one in Konoha will ever speak of that day for fear of their lives.

**. . : 3 : . .**

At the Konoha Academy the jonin stalled for an hour outside the door as he talked himself into believing that they would be the best team ever, that he would do everything his own sensei had done, and that he would surely love his students.

**. . : 4 : . .**

That idea flew the coop the moment the eraser fell on his head.

**. . : 5 : . .**

When she first saw him, Sakura considered him the best looking, if not most talented, ninja in Konoha… Well, best looking and most talented after Uchiha Sasuke, of course. And she wasn't at all hesitant to hold back her admiration for him.

Sasuke, on the other hand, couldn't get past the fact that his – er… – their teacher was two hours late, wore a mask, and always carried around an orange book titled "Make-Out Tactics".

And Naruto? He was too busy laughing his head off to think about first impressions.

**. . : 6 : . .**

At their so-called first meeting, Kakashi couldn't help thinking that Naruto reminded him of someone. No, not personality-wise – it was quite obvious he was the Obito of the team – but appearance-wise. In the back of his mind, Kakashi had an inkling that he knew who the boy's father was.

**. . : 7 : . .**

When Team 7's first practice session involved the blond being kicked, thrown, shish kabobbed, and eventually tied to a post, the grey-haired jonin began to have his doubts about his theory.

**. . : 8 : . .**

Contrary to popular belief, Uzumaki Naruto was not the first one on Team 7 to fall in love.

His long-time rival and brother in everything but blood had beaten him yet again when he had fallen in like at the ripe age of seven-and-a-half, and in love at the age of eight.

At the age of nine, though, Sasuke witnessed the murder of the entire Uchiha clan by his brother's hand for what seemed to him to be seventy-two consecutive hours, and forgot the mean of the word, let alone the emotion that accompanied it.

**. . : 9 : . .**

Truth be told, Naruto really doesn't love ramen as much as he lets on. He just eats it all the time because it's cheap and his rants about its 'noodly-goodness' get Sakura's attention, even if it is only to berate him for his poor eating habits. Besides, Naruto's always been a good – no, great actor.

**. . : 10 : . .**

Haruno Sakura is possibly the number one most sought after kunoichi in Konoha. And although she hates her own appearance, she can't help but feel that none of her suitors are good enough for her. Ino had told to go for the best of the best, and so she did, even when she began to understand the heartbreaks she herself had caused.

**. . : 11 : . .**

The day Naruto and Sasuke accidentally kissed each other was clearly one on the worst moments in both their lives. Naruto in fact ran home and brushed his teeth a total of one hundred thirty-seven times that afternoon. He would have brushed a couple times more were it not for the slight problem of running out of toothpaste. Sasuke… Well, let's just say that he's no longer barf-free since he was three.

**. . : 12 : . .**

Naruto's no idiot. He knew that his promise to Sakura was one of a lifetime the minute he made it, and he's more than willing to do whatever it takes to fulfill that promise. As long as bringing Sasuke back means Sakura will smile again, then he's not going to let anything, not even death itself, stand in his way because as long as she's happy his pain and sorrow can be forgotten.

**. . : 13 : . .**

After Naruto left to train with Jiraiya-sennin, Sakura joined Team 10 so as to participate in the next Chunnin Exam. She's lucky she survived her first mission with Ino. When the platinum-blond overheard Sakura talking in her sleep, the pink-haired girl thought she'd die of embarrassment. No Sasuke fan-girl would be caught dead heard muttering a certain hyperactive ninja's name.

Ever.

**. . : 14 : . .**

In the two years she spent training under Tsunade, Sakura never truly understood why the great slug sannin needed so many bottles of sake. At least she didn't understand why until the night she stumbled upon a rather thick file labeled with one word: Uzumaki. Of course, it was just her luck that the hangover she suffered from the next day made her forget what exactly she had discovered.

**. . : 15 : . .**

In all honesty, Naruto never really created a new more perverted jutsu. Nor would he ever read his Ero-sensei's perverted books. He just says that stuff because he finds it funny when Sakura states that she truly doesn't need another pervert to deal with. He has to admit that it hurts when she gets physical, though.

**. . : 16 : . .**

Sakura won't admit it, but she knows she has anger management problems. Normally, though, she doesn't feel too bad about throwing people around when they get on her nerves. After all, most of the time the "people" being referred to is Naruto. Yet she can't help but feel sorry when she beat both boys up for calling her 'HAG' because, well, they're **her** boys!

**. . : 17 : . .**

Speaking of habits… Sakura and Naruto regret inspiring Sai's sudden abundance of names to use. They thought that he'd stop after the Ino incident, but unfortunately he didn't.

There was quite a bit of sweat dropping and cries for mercy the day the Anbu decided to start calling Kakashi 'old man'.

**. . : 18 : . .**

When Sasuke finally returned to Konoha, Sakura's tears weren't for him. No, the moment she meet his eyes, the moment he swept her into his embrace, Sakura's heart was broken. She didn't wait for an explanation, didn't even wait for Kakashi-sempai and Sai, who had been accompanying the Uchiha, to appear.

A fist has no conscious, only initiative. He never saw it coming, never saw it until the attack connected with his stomach.

And with that, she was gone – running towards the horizon in search of a man she wouldn't find, a man who was more than just a friend.

**. . : 19 : . .**

No one talks at his funeral.

No one can think of the words to describe the hyperactive blond accurately. And it is in the absolute silence that his friends mourn him – that Konoha mourns for its true hero. For that's what he is, not matter what they called him in the past, whether it was demon or comrade.

What matters is the lesson he taught them. He showed them that death isn't the only way of the ninja, killing isn't the only option. He protected the ones he loved. Protected the village he loved, though they hated him. He taught them to open their eyes and see people for who they really were.

The true way of the ninja – his way – is that of protecting life and valuing it over death.

**. . : 20 : . .**

Every generation has its heroes, shinobi who will be remembered for years to come. In that way, Konohagakure no Sato will remember Uzumaki Naruto, a shunned boy who fulfilled his promises and became his father's legacy. The Shichibidaime will ensure that they do. Not because it is her duty as Hokage, but because she was his friend, his teammate, his lover. She is Haruno Sakura and she will make sure that the father of her unborn child, the man she still hold dear to her heart, is never forgotten.

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**_(The last three are actually based on a fanfic I started to write, but decided not to finish (or post for that matter). I'm sorry if I started to get a bit random, but the entire thing was written at different times and was revised on multiple occasions. And yes, it got a bit depressing at the end, but that's because I was reading a Yondaime/Naruto last moments fanfic and it made me feel like crying. And I was implying that Naruto is the Yondaime's son, and that he became the Rokudaime.)_**


	2. Smoke and Mirrors

_**Author: UnknownShinobi**_

_**Title: Oh the Lies They Tell**_

_**Category: Anime – Naruto**_

**_Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, you'd be paying to read this._**

_**Chapter 2: Smoke and Mirrors**_

_**Summary: Team 10 reflects on Asuma's death. Written in past tense**_

_**Warnings: Written right after I read Chapter 238 of the manga. May be a bit depressing.**_

_**Pairings: None**_

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Oh the Lies They Tell**

Chapter 2: Smoke and Mirrors

It's hard for them to accept his choice, though they fully understand his reasoning. They never thought it would end this way, never thought that Team 10 could be destroyed so easily. But they can't pretend it's a dream, there's too much blood for that, too much pain.

But the life of a shinobi must go on; they've suffered death before and survived. And they'll suffer again unless they learn. Emotions are irrelevant, for they are meant to be the tools of the Hokage, the tools of the village. Their line of work involves death, involves killing.

And yet, it's hard to let go, hard to surrender something you didn't know you valued so much.

Hard to keep the demeanor of a ninja of Leaf.

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_..::Boar::.._

His blood is on her hands. Not because she is at fault, but because there was nothing she could have done. She feels the cold of his death creeping into her bones, seeping through her skin and into her heart. Blond hair falls into her eyes, plastered to her forehead by the rain. She can't help but think that if she was stronger he'd still be alive. If she was Sakura maybe their sensei wouldn't be staring up at the sky with blank eyes.

_..::Deer::.._

He doesn't like the clouds this way. Doesn't like the way the grey sky seems to loom so close to the ground as if to suffocate it. And just to think, a few hours ago they had been playing Go again, had that been the calm before the storm? But now he knows the secret, Asuma's king – _'the one I am protecting is…'_ That last secret between them... But the only thing that will come to mind are those two words that seem so unfamiliar now: _"So troublesome…"_.

_..::Butterfly::.._

For once in his life he doesn't feel hungry and he's not sure he ever will again. In the shadow of his death, food seems insignificant. There will always be more of that to look forward to… A continuous supply of it. But there was only one of him, only one sensei for Team 10…

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They won't cry; it's a futile action.

Tears won't bring him back.

They won't turn back time.

They won't…

Perhaps in days to come they'll truly accept his sacrifice.

But for now they'll let the rain cover their tears…

Let the smoke disguise their meaning…

They'll play this game with themselves for as long as they need to.

Anything is better than facing that hurt.

Anything is better than facing that feeling of loss…

Even the lies they tell…

The lies that seem so irrelevant when they know they'll never truly forget…

Never truly erase this pain that darkens their hearts…

Shikamaru will keep smoking although he'll always complain about how it hurts his eyes.

He'll do this to remember…

Choji will refuses to eat BBQ.

He'll do this to honor the memory…

And Ino will never give up, will never surrender.

She'll do this because he wanted her to…

They know they'll never forget, and behind the façade they never want to. Because as obscured as it is by smoke, they see themselves behind the glass, a reflection of how they were, how they should have been, how they aren't….

And so…

They'll remember…

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**_(My ending really sucks… Can you tell I was watching Star Trek episodes with my dad again? I kept inserting words like "futile", "insignificant" and "irrelevant". Most of them were edited out when I was revising, but my diction was still heavily influenced by the Borg episodes I saw._**

**_Whoa! "Even the lies they tell…" I didn't notice this line until just now. Odd how it ties into the FanFic title….)_**


	3. The Tragic Hero

'_**Ello, Shinobi back again. –Ducks multiple sharp object thrown in her direction- Hey! –gets hit with a book as she scans the shadows for her attacker- Owie… Okay, I did deserve that. I know what you're thinking and yes, I'm still trying to work out the plot for my other stories. But for now, you get this.**_

_**In all honesty, I am forced to admit that this drabble was written long ago. If it is possible that you participate in Naruto RPGs you might have seen it, as I did incorporate it into a character post with Naruto and Jiraiya-sama.**_

_**No pairings to warn of, it's basically my commentary on an early Naruto.**_

**_Disclaimer: What did I just say? My _commentary_ on Kishimoto's Naruto._**

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Oh the Lies They They Tell - The Tragic Hero

_After so many years of working together, his team no long asks why_

_he wears a mask. They gave up a long time ago, tired of trying_

_to see the real him, driven mad by his open-ended answers. To_

_them, it doesn't seem like he's hurting himself by wearing it. He's_

_not hiding like Hinata does, scared to be speak out in fear that_

_someone might notice. Nor does he bear it in such a futile_

_attempt to push others away as Sasuke tries to._

_No…_

_No, he grins up into the faces of his peers and his teachers,_

_only to be greeted with glares of disgust. To them, he is_

_the fool who disrupts the class with his pranks and his_

_laughter, and the monster that has no reason to live but to_

_remind them of that day. And it is only in the brief periods_

_following his follies that the boy attains what he truly wants:_

_to be accepted and acknowledged._

_To him, it doesn't matter that he feels like crying when a_

_brief smile touches their lips. Doesn't matter that inside he_

_wants to cry, wants to run away. He just grins along – having_

_nothing to smile about, his pain and misery long ago overcame_

_his happiness – acting just as stupid as the teme thinks him to_

_be, and as much idiot as his crush sees him as._

_It doesn't matter to him that within seconds_

_he'll be forgotten again, pushed aside and hated._

_For those few seconds he's valued, for that_

_short moment he's not on the outside._

_But it does matter…_

_Fifteen years ago the Yondaime Hokage_

_saved the village hidden in the leaves._

_Fifteen years ago, two lives were sacrificed_

– _one to be remembered forever, the other_

_to be cursed in the process._

_In the last moments of his life, the_

_Yondaime wished for only one thing:_

_For an orphan child, the very_

_one he was holding, to grow up loved…_

_To be respected…_

_Revered…_

_And honored as the hero of Konoha…_

_Of course fate has a cruel sense_

_of humor, for misfortune_

_often blights the life of a true hero…_

_This is the fate of the Jinchûriki…_

_The tragic hero…_


	4. Imperfection

_**Author: UnknownShinobi**_

_**Title: Oh the Lies They Tell**_

_**Category: Anime – Naruto**_

**_Disclaimer: Must I state this again?_**

_**Chapter 4: Imperfection**_

_**Summary: We must all come to terms with imperfection.**_

_**Warnings: Angst, in a way.**_

_**Pairings: None**_

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**Oh the Lies They Tell**

Chapter 4: Imperfection

There comes a time in each person's life when they realize that not everything is perfect, that not everything is how it should be…

Hatake Kakashi learned that lesson the moment he was born, for it was in that same instant that his mother died – died giving birth to him. Perfection is something he's never known, and yet the one thing he's always strived for. He endeavored to obtain the impossible because maybe then his father would look **at** him instead of through him.

The realization came a bit later for Uzumaki Naruto, for the boy who through his blessing was cursed. It wasn't until the age of four that he began to understand the hate of the village, until his eyes were truly opened to the horrors of the world. It was then that he began to realize that a broken arm, a black eye, and threats upon his life were not what a child was suppose to receive on his birthday.

Yamanaka Ino's innocence was stripped away soon after her peer's, on the day her best friend pressed a ribbon into her hand and told her they were enemies thus forth. All because of some boy…

That "some boy" came to terms with imperfection in one of the worst possible ways. Arriving home from school one day, Uchiha Sasuke found his family murdered. The only person left for him was his brother – the man he had always looked up to, the older sibling he had loved, from whose fingers dripped the blood of a whole clan. Because he wanted to test his skills, because he wanted his little brother to learn to hate…

Hatred seems a common ground for the youth of Konoha. Enslaved by his family and betrayed by his blood, Hyuuga Neji learned how to hate the day his father died to save the very man who had taken away his freedom. Fate must have a dark sense of humor to let the young be corrupted in such ways.

Hinata, for that matter, has always resigned herself to her fate. Never one to demand much of anything, never one to speak up for herself. Although she can't understand her cousin's hate or her crush's determination, she understands the delicate balance of the world. Understands that for every good thing that happens there must be a reverse, for in a perfect world tears wouldn't exist.

It's odd that a pervert such as Jiraiya knows the meaning of tears, knows how useless they are in the face of death. They didn't save his friendship with the traitor, or his crush's heart. For that reason, the sannin didn't cry for his student, didn't cry for his teacher. The world will never be what he wants it to be, that's why he prefers to be alone.

Haruno Sakura, though, values the meaning of tears. They mean you're still alive, still able to fight for what you believe in. Tears mean that you can still feel, they mean the world has yet to destroy that part of you. As long as you are able to cry you're still a person, as imperfect as people can be.

As an artist, Sai has always strived for the ultimate beauty, for perfection. The world is imperfect, but that doesn't mean his paintings must be as well. But even he doesn't want to forget reality, as merciless as it may be. So he holds on…Holds on and hopes…

_In a perfect world there would be no hate, no war, no hunger…_

_Hearts would not break, and no child would cry…_

_But this world isn't perfect._

_The world does cry, mourns for its fallen heroes…_

_And hearts do break, never to be repaired…_

_Imperfection has but one enemy,_

_And that is Hope…_

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**_(I left characters out because I didn't feel that they fit. I've been leaning towards tragedy lately…)_**


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